Robert Horn is one of those creative geniuses whose contributions have come in waves. He has been acknowledged on our web site as one of the key sources of inspiration and technical influence underlying the work of The Performance Thinking Network, particularly our efforts to communicate widely about performance improvement.

Bob was creator of The Information Mapping® Method, the structured writing methodology that came from his early research in programmed instruction and systems analysis, and that has, since the 1970s, been a standard for documentation at major corporations and government organizations around the world. His former company, Information Mapping, Inc. , continues to teach the method.

From there Bob moved on to what he calls Visual Language , optimal combination of words and pictures for effective communication. His book called Mapping Hypertext, applying the Information Mapping method to the design of online documentation, predated the worldwide web, anticipating principles that would later guide design of web sites.

In recent decades, Bob has combined his research on systems analysis, argumentation analysis, visual communication and structured writing to analyze global “messes” such as climate change and prospects for nuclear disarmament. In many respects, this most recent work reflects the best of Bob, who still considers himself to be a Political Scientist based on his academic training, and as a concerned inhabitant of Earth.